As an artist, it has been on my to-do list to copy a master's painting, in order to: practice and test my current skills, to learn more about color values and composition, to push the envelope of my limited palette usage, and finally to be among the many who have copied at least one painting (whether they admit it or not).  It definitely requires a totally different approach than creating a painting of one's own inception.  There are some who believe as a rule that one should not copy from completed paintings of any artist, living or not.  However, I have read enough to know it has been an accepted practice of artists going way back in history, including copying right in front of a painting in a museum.  Believe me, it is a daunting challenge, especially if the artist's brushstrokes are very expressive.   Nevertheless, I have thoroughly enjoyed the process of discovering what it is like to copy a master's painting and particularly of such a beautiful painting by the American figure painter, Cecilia Beaux (1855-1942).

In the summer of 1909, Cecilia Beaux began the painting: Mrs. Stedman Buttrick and Son (33.5" x 25.5"), according to the book by Sylvia Yount: Cecilia Beaux, American Figure Painter (2007). The book is from an exhibition at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, GA. (Yount's book print of the painting has a warmer tone.) Another book by Alice A. Carter: Cecilia Beaux, A Modern Painter in the Gilded Age (2005), states that the portrait was commissioned after Mrs. Buttrick died after giving birth to her fifth child and was executed from photographs.  (Carter's book print of the painting has a bluer tone.)

One hundred years later, in the fall of 2009, my artist friend, Diane Rath (www.dianerath.com) came to Michigan to teach one of her twice annual workshops.  Her project for the willing students was to copy Beaux's Mrs. Buttrick's painting during the three-day workshop.  She had color photocopies of Carter's bluer print for us to use (image size 9" x 6.5").  The first day we sketched the painting on our canvases, using the grid method, correlating the smaller grid from the source image to a larger grid on the canvas. (Diane gave me a 24" x 20" gessoed board to use. It is a different size than the original, which is a general practice and courtesy when copying.)  We then painted an underlayer using transparent earthy colors, trying to note the correct values of the painting.  The second and third day were spent applying color using Diane's suggested fuller palette of colors.

A few days later after the workshop, when I thought I was going to just touch up the painting, I realized that my drawing was way off.  Standing at a fixed easel for three days led to a massive distortion towards the bottom half of the painting.  In addition, although I painted the child's head nicely, the head too was too small.  In order to do something right (or not at all), I decided to spend the time to correct the painting, especially if I had made copying a master's painting as a goal.

Only using a bit of Diane's stand oil mixture during the workshop, the painting was now dry to the touch.  Not wanting to paint over ridges of paint, I grabbed a new Scotch-Bright scour pad and gently sanded down the painting, being careful not to breath the dust and to clean up the surrounding area.  Next, using cadmium yellow light thinned with some linseed oil, I lightly painted a new grid over the painting.  The yellow color was bright enough for the notation over both the dark and the light areas.  Then, I 'redrew' the major outlines of the shapes within the grids, still using the thinned yellow mixture.

My current palette of colors is a  red, yellow, blue, plus white palette, which I learned from Dawn Whitelaw (www.dawnwhitelaw.com) years ago.  I am very comfortable with the palette and so it is what I will use to correct and finish the painting.  Selecting just the basic color values, I paint over the major shapes within each grid and covering the added yellow outlines on the painting.  I leave what is left of the yellow grid on the background to keep the drawing in check.  The remaining yellow grid lines will be painted over when I get to re-painting the background stage.

Now, the fun truly began.  I painted in one section at a time and each section required multiple attempts.  The difficulty came when the color values were close.  The dark area of Mrs. Buttrick's face has so many subtle value changes that it probably took most of my concentration.  Each paint application had the usual decisions of hue, value, temperature, and intensity.  Then I had the added challenges of repeating Beaux's brushwork and her edges.

When I was almost done, I checked Yount's book with the warmer tones and in comparison I discovered I did not like the current coolness of the painting based on Carter's book.  (This is the problem I foresaw when I thought of copying from books and the various printing issues.)  Having not seen the original, I sensed I needed to go warmer guessing what Beaux intent was for the overall color of the painting.  So, I mixed a bit of indian yellow with some linseed oil to lightly 'stain' certain areas, mostly the skin sections.  Those areas got repainted again while still working on adjusting color values.

Also, I felt I needed to pump up the red areas, so I added a cadmium red light to my palette.  The warmer red (as opposed to my more neutral red on the palette) really helped with the child's face, and of course, the major red sleeve Mrs. Stedman has in the painting.

My last step was to repaint the background.  Again, I had to shift the color values to a warmer background, using a diluted mixture of paint and linseed oil.  It was fun using some makeup sponges to push the paint around, simulating what maybe Beaux did with big brushes.

Currently, the painting has reached a stage where it is acceptable for me to stop.  Although I know there are some remaining drawing and color value adjustments, the corrections that could be made would be minor.  My learning from the painting has been immense and now I need and want to get back to my own creations.  To finish, I'll sign the painting with "after Cecilia Beaux", given her my full respect and due credit.  Then I'll seal the painting with a coat of Gamvar (www.gamblincolors.com) and search for an appropriate frame for it.

My many thanks and appreciation go to Diane for starting me on the journey of copying a master's painting and to Cecilia Beaux.  Ms. Beaux's paintings are beautiful and I hope she would not mind.  May she rest in peace.

 

 

I just experienced my first commissioned portrait and its unveiling.  The portrait is a posthumous portrait based on a studio, black and white photograph. (I'll discuss doing a posthumous portrait in a later blog.)  The client was great to work with and is very satisfied. The following is about the enjoyable portrait process with some suggestions for commissioning artists.

Inception.  When the grandson of the subject, the client, contacted me after seeing my website, we set up an initial meeting to discuss the possibilities for the project.  I brought along with me: my portfolio, my price list, an actual completed portrait, and a list of other portrait artists in the area with their price lists.  We met at a local coffee shop, a public area that was good for both of us.

After the introductions and casual conversation, I let the client talk about his wishes or needs for the portrait. (It's best to let the client talk first about his needs, so you can match your marketing to their requirements.) He brought along the studio photograph in order for me to guage whether it would be an adequate source for the portrait.  Upon inspection, I deemed it would be adequate for a portrait.  The following conversation was about the subject and the purpose of the portrait.  The finished portrait would be installed at a public location in a nearby town.

The conversation then shifted to me and what I could do.  I showed my portfolio and the portait that I had brought along with me.  I discussed my training, my techniques, and some possible ideas about the proposed portrait.  Working with the client, you have to be open to suggestions and ideas that would make him/her satisfied.  I then brought up the fact that this would be my first formal commission and that if he wasn't comfortable with it, I had a list of portrait artists in the area that I could recommend and contact for him.  I had their published price lists and their websites information.  It turns out, he had done some previous research and had contacted some other portrait artists (even one based in England).  However, I think he was taken back by the price quotes that he was given (he didn't say what the amounts were). 

The client was very pleased with my style and technique of the portrait that I had brought along and all that we discussed.  When it looked like a possibile commission, I then offered my estimated price list.   He was immediately at ease when he saw that my prices were within reason for such a commissions like this one. 

Pricing. It's important that you do your research about pricing, understanding your skill levels and what other portrait artists in the area with similar skills are charging.  You need to set an appropriate fee for your time. Also, understand if you want repeat/referral business from a commission, the prices you set intially will be the baseline for the subsequent commissions.  So they shouldn't be too low or too high.  As you gain experience and more commissions, you can raise them as appropriate for your area and the demand.  Calvin Goodman's book, Art Marketing Handbook, can give you more insights and information about marketing yourself.

The client and I closed the meeting by agreeing it was a "go" and that we'll meet again to discuss more details.  The next meeting we scheduled was at the client's home.  If you're uncomfortable with this, take someone along with you.  While there, the client gave me more photos and copied some from the computer.  This also was a chance to see the client's artwork, trying to understand the client's taste in art.  Although there were some painterly art, most of the artwork were more classical, including some antique portraits (which I enjoyed looking at and analyzing).  This was one of the considerations towards a more formal portait.

  Location. We then set up a time to meet at the eventual location of the portrait, which was in a nearby town.  (Take your camera for photographs.)  I arrived early and walk around to see the other portraits in the building.  This would be another consideration of the style and size for the prosposed portrait. I want the portrait to complement with these. 

After the client arrived, he showed me the location.  The portrait would hang in a lobby on a brick wall next to a main entrance.  Another consideration for the portrait would be the temperature fluctuations in the area.  I decided on linen canvas mounted on foam core to prevent the canvas sag that could happen with stretched linen. We discussed the lighting that was available and the security issues of the public building.  Neither were a problem, however, I kept it all in mind.  

Sizing.  To help determine the size, I brought three completed portraits of mine in their standard frames (12x16, 20x24, 24x30).  I place them on the wall and had the client choose which size would look best.  We decided a size between the 20x24 and the 24x30 would work. At the time, I also brought up the idea that I could add hands to the portrait, using the client's hands if necessary, to make a more executive type portrait.  (The portraits there had examples of both with and without hands.) Of course, that would affect the size.  We decided then to not add hands in order to keep the size within the proposed range and to try to stay within life-size for the head and shoulder format.

Proposal.  We closed the visit by visiting the other portraits, discussing some details, and then it was up to me to send the proposal.  Following general prinicples of portrait commissions, I wrote a proposal that stated the details we discussed: the size and type of the canvas, the head and shoulder format close to life size, the portrait background, expected timelines for approvals and delivery, deposits and fees, and general responsibities of both parties.  I found Goodman's book helpful and John Howard Sanden's book, Portraits in 29 Easy Steps to be helpful writing a proposal as well.  I also researched possible frame costs at a local framer in order to give a framing estimate to the client. (It's usully stated that in general, the frame costs 10 to 15 percent of the portrait fee.)  After double checking for completeness, I sent the proposal to the organization for signing; through specific donations, they were the purchasers of the portrait.

Deposit.  Once, I recieved a signed proposal and a deposit towards the portrait, I ordered the canvases. (I always order extra canvases just in case.)  When the canvases came, I started working on the portrait, noting the hours I spent.  This helps track your work and for your estimating time of completion for future work.  Taking a photograph of the stages is great for documentation, too.

In-progress Approval.  It helps to show your client your work at some point in order to verify that the portrait is within the client's expectations.  I set up a time for my client to come to my house, which is my also my studio, to see the almost finished portrait.  I ordered a standard frame with and another without a liner.  When the client came, he was pleased with the portrait and the remaining issue was the frame.  We both decided that the unlined frame was best, however, he didn't like the frame color, a matte gold.  He was leaning towards a dark frame, which worried me on the dark brick wall location.  So, we decide to wait until the portrait was finished, and then meet at a local frame shop to select a frame at that time.  I put a few finishing touches on the portrait and considered it done.  Although he didn't have the portait yet, he was so pleased with the portrait, he told the organization to send the final payment to me for the portrait.

Photographing.  Before I handed over the portrait, I arranged for a professional photographer to take a photo of the portrait.  For this, I also took some of my other portraits, so that the total fee (which includes setup) charged by the photographer was less per portrait.  The lighting is very tricky for varnished portraits and dark paint layers.  The photographer had to make some adjustments using the computer software.  I made sure I received some 4x6 prints of the commissioned portrait to send to the client and organization for their records.

Framing.  We met at the frame shop with the finished portrait.  We tried many samples of dark, medium, and light frames.  The one I had checked out at the start of the project, a hand-crafted, no miter corners, reddish gold frame, looked the best.  Because I wanted to make sure that the back of the portrait would not touch the brick wall, I had requested additonal depth be made to the frame.  In the end, the added depth gave more presence to the portrait.  The frame took  a few weeks to be made, as it was over the summer holiday break.  Once it was in, I took the portrait back in to the frame shop.  They mounted it, sealed the back, and wired it.  As they were doing that, I called the client and he came by the frame shop to pick the portrait up. We all took one last look before they wrapped the portrait for transportation.

Final Invoice.  As a practice, I always send the purchasers of my art an invoice marked paid for their documentation and for the artwork's provenance.  With a 4x6 photo of the portrait, I sent the final invoice to the organization with all the payment details.  Since the grandson was behind the commission, I sent him a thank you card and a photo, too.

Unveiling.  The grandson and organization decide to have a formal unveiling for the portrait, although the portrait was installed not long after the frame shop was finished. Only the relatives of the subject, the staff, and myself were invited to keep the event low key.  The organization sent out the invitations. The client drove myself and my daughter (my photo and video-grapher for this time, maybe a hired professional for the next) up to the nearby city for the event.  It was a wonderful opportunity for the grandson to discuss more about his grandfather's life and we really enjoyed it.

When we arrived, we noticed the staff had placed a black cloth over the portrait and the engraved plaque underneath.

  We went to a nearby salon where the reception was to be held.  They had a nice spread of fruit, cheeses and chocolates with bottles of bubbly.  The invited guests arrived and we were all being introduced and chatting away. The president of the organization gave a very nice talk about the organization, their doners, and the idea behind the portrait.  (I could tell he was pleased with the portrait and spoke of how the portrait from afar looks like it was glowing under a spotlight.)

All of us then walked over to the main lobby where the portrait was installed.  The grandson then gave a nice talk about the subject and the subject's remarkable life.  (We had some noise from the students and parents in the area.) When he was done, he and the president together pulled off the black covering.  I remember hearing gasps and then applause.  (When I reviewed the video later, during the unveiling, the one granddaugher even put her hands over her mouth.) Fortunately and to my delight, after working so long on a portrait, hearing gasps and then applause is a good thing.  I gave my comments about the challenge and pleasure painting the portrait and then thanked everyone involved: the president of the organization, the grandson, and of course, my family.

  When we all finished enjoying the portrait and the moment, we toured the wing of the building, which was named after the subject. Pianos were playing and little girls were learning their ballet steps. We finished at the other end of the lobby where we could see the portrait from far away.  The president was right.

  The grandson with his grandfather's portrait finally in view.

 

My past experience with varnishing my oil paintings have been mixed.  However, I just tried Gamblin's Gamvar Picture Varnish (Gamblin Artists Colors) for the first time and it turned out great.  I plan on using it for all my varnishing.  The following are the steps that I use and recommend for varnishing using Gamvar:

The supplies.    1 clean, unused brush, 1 - 2 inches in width, good quality, soft but firm texture (keep for   
                           varnishing only).  I used a new, 2-inch Langnickel gesso brush that came with a Langnickel 
                           brush set. 
                        1 clean jar with solvent to clean your varnishing brush afterward; best solvent is Gamblin's 
                           Gamsol, an odorless mineral spirits (oms); (keep the jar with the clean solvent for cleaning
                           the varnish brush only).
                        1 level surface for your painting with a layer of paper or plastic to protect the surface.
                        1 dust free room with ventilation; keep pets and curious children away from the area.
                        1 Gamvar mix; you have to add the supplied solvent to the crystals in a jar and mix for 8 hours, 
                            before you  use the Gamvar.  I did this the day before the actual varnishing. (Read the notes 
                            about the expiration of the mixed Gamvar.)
                        1-10 prepared paintings to varnish (lightly dust the dry, older paintings with a brush and check  
                            and for missed brush hairs); when the brush is wet with varnish, be ready to batch the process 
                            and save yourself setup time.
                        1 level drying area for the first hour; optional, later, prop the paintings with the varnish side 
                           towards  a wall and then the 'air dust' is less likely to land on the fresh varnish.

The process.  1. Dip your brush into the Gamvar, wetting just the tip of the brush.  A little does go a long way. 
                          I used  one brush load for an 8x10 and 2-3 brush loads for 20x24 up to 22x28. Also, try to
                          keep the lid on the varnish, to minimize evaporation and have cleaner air.  (I didn't notice any 
                          odor while varnishing - wonderful.)
                      2. Start at a corner of the painting, brush in a controlled criss-cross pattern, and try to go as far
                          as you can before reloading the brush with more varnish.  Be mindful of the coarser canvas  
                          weaves that take more brushing and watch for any pooling in areas which you brush out.
                      3. Once the painting is thoroughly covered and checked for any missed dry spots usually near the
                          edges, you can stop brushing.  This one application will leave a shiny surface.  Any bubbles
                          will soon disappear.
                      4. To take the shine down a bit, keep brushing the surface until you feel resistance. You will notice
                          the varnish will start to be less shiny. It will take a good 2-3 minutes, depending upon the
                          conditions, like humidity or air circulation in your room. Be careful that you brush down the
                          whole surface or you will have uneven shine.
                      5. Find a place for the painting to dry; my paintings with the thin, brush down coat took an hour
                          in general and the no-brush down paintings a bit longer (even a bit tacky the next day).
                      6. When finished with all the paintings, clean the brush in the solvent.
                      7. Optional: the next day, apply a second coat, thinly as before, for more shine and coverage. 
                          I found one coat to be sufficient for this group of paintings.

You can view a short video on Gamblin's website: Gamblin Artists Colors: Using Varnishes

My experience with other varnishes:

Damar varnish.  I made my own damar varnish by purchasing damar crystals (a tree resin) and dissolving them in turpentine.  It was really cool to see the bits and bugs at the jar's bottom and feeling old world.  That was for my first portrait years ago.  The instructor for that workshop had us use the same mixture, slightly diluted as a medium.  Little did I know that I was setting myself up for trouble.  Because it's mixed with turpentine, the mixture is really smelly and toxic.  I later read that old world paintings yellowed mainly because of the oil and resin varnish they used at the time.  (That's not good for white collars in the corporate portrait.)  The other major problem was that the instructor advised me to use the same mixture as a varnish.  I waited the required six months and gave it a shot.  I applied it with a brush. The texture was uneven, it set up fast leaving uneven brush strokes and too much of a shine, highlighting every bit of dust and  missed brush hairs.  Then I learned, if the varnish needs to be removed, the solvent for damar varnish would affect the damar in the paint. Lesson: do not use your medium as a varnish.  Another instructor advised me to use the workshop medium, maroger, also as a topcoat on the painting. I didn't.  (Gamvar is removable.)

Retouch Varnish. For the past few years, I was using Winsor & Newton Artists' Retouching Varnish.  It is clear and easy to apply using a similar process as above and will give a similar sheen. The advantage is that you can apply it when the painting is fresh and dry to the touch.  However, unlike Gamvar with its almost non-odor property, the retouch varnish has a major odor.  (I had to varnish in the garage, which I'm sure exposed my paintings to lots of dust.)  From what I understand, retouch varnish is really a diluted varnish.  There is standard advice that you can paint over this layer.  That's comforting when you feel like you may need to at some point.  The advice is that you should really make a decision that the painting is done.  Gamblin says when you need to 'refresh' a painting before continuing to paint, if the paint has sunken in and looks dull in the dark areas, it would be better to 'oil out', using your medium or a bit of oil to refresh these spots.  It sounds like having layers of paint with layers of retouch on top with more layers of paint and then a varnish could be problematic down the road.  In the end, since it is a diluted mixture, the retouch varnish will not be protecting your painting like a true varnish layer like Gamvar.

Why should you varnish?  First reason is to add a layer of protection against exposure to daylight, temperature differences, and traffic dust.  In my case, I just finished a portrait commission and the painting will be hanging in  a very public place with outside doors nearby.  You can read the archival and technical qualities of Gamvar and see why I chose to use it.  Second reason is that it makes the painting have the 'just painted' or wet look.  (I love walking into my studio to check on a current painting and smelling the linseed oil.)  Third reason is that the varnish will bring out or enrich the colors.  I have a collection of plein air studies done in Mexico last year and the colors appeared lifeless (see the Before painting below to compare). When I applied Gamvar, the colors popped right up and now the paintings have the original feeling of that experience (see the After painting at the beginning).  If you don't like the sheen (one artist's blog said it made his paintings look like plastic), try the 'brush down' method above.  Gamblin sells a wax for use as an alternative, non-sheen method.  I'll try that soon.

 The Before - unvarnished painting, April 2008.

When should you varnish?  If it's dry to the touch, generally within a week to a month you can apply Gamvar. The literature, like Ralph Mayer's book, The Artist's Handbook of Materials and Techniques, says to wait for 3 - 6 months (page 209). This presents a problem if you sell the painting before the recommended time frame.  Some artist have told me that they don't varnish and let the buyer worry about it.  Other artists, like me, have relied on retouch varnish to give a quick topcoat. I say, it all depends on your painting style, the type of paints, the mediums, the thin or thickness of your application.  In my case, my oil paintings are painted in thin layers over time or alla prima as in plein air. For paints, in the past, I have used earth colors, cadmiums, transparent colors, and some oily, more expensive paints. My current palette now is a limited palette of chosen paints that setup pretty fast. For mediums, I use a bit of Gamsol in the beginning and then only a bit of linseed oil later, following the 'fat over lean' suggestion.  Other varnishes and methods 'seal' the paint which promotes cracking if the underneath layers are still drying. Understanding this, the Gamblin has made Gamvar so that it can be applied sooner staying flexible with the drying process.

For Gamblin's information on varnishing, go to Gamblin Artists Colors: Varnish.

 

Another artist in The Muses group is Peggy Kerwan.  Maybe because she teaches yoga weekly, Peggy is usually very energetic and productive when I have painted with her on Tuesdays.  Peggy typically has a palette full of colorful, acrylic paint globs beside her and a canvas that quickly gets covered with her expressive brush strokes.  Sometimes she uses a rag or a finger to make her "finger-paintings" and she's nicknamed, "the smudger."

Peggy is a self-taught artist and works in many mediums.  For the past year, she has been experimenting in mixed media, creating collages and mosaics with collected papers (t'art) and papers (oils), in addition to the mosaics of glass and wood.  She has created several pieces in encaustic, a blend of wax, pigments and resins.  Peggy, who accepts commissions, also has experience in painting wall murals, faux finishes, portraits & figurative, abstracts, photo-op posters, masks, and monoprints.

"My fondness of whimsy, which has allowed me to paint many children's murals, sometimes finds its way over into my portrait and figure work.  In the past I preferred to paint from my imagination, using bright colors and a sense of humor to express my high level of energy and positive outlook."

Peggy's art has been exhibited around the Detroit metro area:  Ferndale's Lawrence Street Gallery (www.lawrencestreetgallery.com), the Livonia Civic Center Library, South Lyon's The Menagerie Gallery, Novi's Picasso Cafe, Canton's Village Theater, Dexter's Daisy Lake Gallery (www.daisylakeartgallery.com), and the Detroit Artist Market (www.detroitartistsmarket.org).

Tonight, as part of the First Friday Art Walk, at the Northville Art House (www.northvillearts.org) is the opening reception of the exhibit "The Painted Stage, Theater Portrayed Through the Artist's Brush (A Tipping Point Collaboration)".   Peggy's art will be exhibiting (June 5 - 20) as well as fellow Muses: Linda Logan, Daria Fileta, Mary Step, Candace Brancik, Barbara Eko Murphy, and Jeff Cancelosi.  I know Peggy and the other Muses put a lot a planning, time, and effort into the initial Tipping Point Exhibit (May 2009) which is now the Northville Art House exhibit.  The results should be fantastic!

www.flickr.com/people/miss_peggy/











 

Teaching fellow artists has many rewards.  One reward is to meet an aspiring artist as a student and then be able to observe their artistic growth during class and outside of class.  One such student of mine is Marilyn Kooistra Marsh.

Marilyn came to my class one night as a guest, as her daughter, Caron Valentine-Marsh, was taking an oil painting class from me.  Marilyn was interested in that class' topic on portraiture.  She then enrolled in my following two classes.

After working 40 years as a social worker/researcher and librarian, Marilyn's retirement gave her time to explore art history and to take art classes.  She studied drawing at the Ann Arbor Art Center (www.annarborartcenter.org).  Marilyn studied watercolor with Barbara Starner and color theory/acrylics/experimental with Leslie Masters.  She then started using water mixable oil paints and exploring landscapes subjects/impressions from her travels to Europe and the US.

Marilyn is a member of the Ann Arbor Women Artists (www.annarborwomenartists.com).  In 2008, she had sixteen paintings shown at Gallery 55+ in Ann Arbor for three months.  Most recently, I had the pleasure to see her work at The Side Door Gallery (www.thesidedoorgallery.com) in Dexter, MI.  The May through June exhibit, "Generations Art Exhibit" has artwork from pairs of relatives, and Marilyn is sharing the wall space with her daughter, Caron.

Her artist's statement:  "A goal for my painting is to portray the beauty and sensuality of color, form, and texture through a variety of subjects and styles.  In landscape paintings 9"plein air" and from photos) I strive to portray a mood/emotional experience.  often I alter the actual colors in the landscapes and occasionally "convert" to an abstraction rather than a photographic image."

Marilyn is a "young" artist who is exploring all the delicious aspects of painting.  Her motifs and shapes are simple but solid, her color choices are vibrant and committed, and her compositions are balanced and playful.  Her joy in painting shows.  I'm looking forward to seeing more of her explorations.

Update:  See a version of this blog with added photos on the Portrait Society website:

Portrait Society of America, Inc. - Portrait Society, Portrait Artists, Portra

If you love painting portraits like I do, then you must try to attend the annual portrait conference, The Art of the Portrait, given by the Portrait Society of America.  (www.PortraitSociety.org)  The following are some of the details and benefits.

The Location.  Since attending my first conference in 2003 in Washington, DC and sadly missing the 2004 conference in Boston, Massachusetts, I have been at every subsequent conference and I always enjoy them immensely.  The 2006 conference was in Dallas, Texas and the 2008 (the Portrait Society's tenth anniversary) was in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  The Washington, DC location is actually at the Hyatt Regency in Reston, Virginia, a nearby superb of Washington and near the Dulles airport.  The years I attended: 2003, 2005, 2007, and 2009 were all in DC (Reston).  I heard during this year's conference that DC will be the permanent location, maybe because the specifics of managing the conference have been worked out rather successfully.

The Shuttle.  The conference begins in the late afternoon on Thursday, when most people are flying or driving into town.  You get a big clue that the DC conference is happening when you take the free, convenient shuttle to the hotel from Dulles airport and everyone on the shuttle is an artist or looks like one.  As opposed to sometimes grumbling, stern, darkly dressed business travelers, this group on the shuttle is usually smiling, dressed with a little more flair or color, and carrying all sizes of portfolios.  I usually buy some roses at the airport to enliven my stark hotel room and the flowers typically invite some artistic conversations.  One of the many conference benefits is the short shuttle ride, where you can perhaps begin connecting with other artists from around the country and maybe develop lasting friendships.

The Hotel.  Checking in at the Hyatt is usually swift and the staff are very courteous.  The attendees receive conference room rates.  Like most people, I take my things to the room before heading to the conference registration area.  The rooms at the Hyatt have always been nicely appointed and clean.  The hotel elevator bank can get busy at certain times, however, they offer another chance to connect with other attendees.  As an alternative and for some much need exercise, the stairwells are good for short trips.  I believe the hotel also offers an exercise room. 

The Conference Registration.  Volunteers and the Society's state ambassadors stand at tables loaded with the attendees registration packets.  The attendees receive in their packet: their name badges, tickets, and conference information.  This year, the packet included a lot of product promotional literature as well.  Again, one more chance to connect with people and if you haven't already, you can meet your state ambassador.

The Art Suppliers.  Another benefit of the conference is a room devoted to booths of art suppliers.  Besides offering information, the reps are selling various products, such as brushes or paints, and sometimes at reduced prices.  I have not checked whether the prices compare with the internet or catalog prices.  For me, I try to find bargains and unique items.  This year, from the Richeson Company (www.richesonart.com), I excitedly bought their paper palette that was the color of middle value gray.  Wow - this will be good for demonstrations and for my students before they invest in a wooden palette.   As for wooden palettes, I usually stop by the Turtlewood Palette booth (www.Turtlewoodpalettes.com), a company in Tennessee that I discovered during a Michael Shane Neal workshop (www.MichaelShaneNeal.com).  The company has a vast array of wooden palettes and every year I purchase one or two (the palettes travel great in the suitcase).

The Books and Dvds.  Here's your chance to peruse various portrait and art books that may not be at the typical bookstore.  Most of the authors are going to be speaking or demonstrating during the conference.  If your budget can afford it, you can purchase the book and if offered, stand in line to have it personally signed by the author.  When the book is really popular or short in supply, try to buy it early as I have always witnessed sell-outs each year.  The dvds are even a better deal to purchase at the conference because they are usually sold only through a special website (and you save on mailing fees).  Some dvds sell-out as well.  This year there were some reduced dvd prices, probably to move some stock and help our fellow artists in the current, strained economy. 

The New Face-Off.  Thursday nights are usually filled with some activity to supplement the incoming registration process and art supply shopping.  This year it was a new "Face-Off" program.  In a large room,  fifteen of the top-tiered portrait artists painted from models (three artists to a model) for two and half hours with  the normal model breaks.  The attendees could walk around the room or sit on provided chairs and witness various artists creating their alla prima portraits.  I believe all were painted with oil paint except Judith Carducci (www.JudithCarducci.com), who painted with pastels.  Having studied with Dawn Whitelaw (www.DawnWhitelaw.com), I spent more time watching and enjoying her endeavors.  Then, the resulting portraits were place in a room where attendees could write in silent bids to raise money for the Society.

The Artist's Perspectives.  Friday, Saturday, and Sunday are filled with a selection of top-tiered portrait artists' perspectives or talks, usually with plenty of slides and/or photos of artwork.  This year John Howard Sanden (www.JohnHowardSanden.com), Everett Raymond Kinstler (www.EverettRaymondKinstler.com), Richard Schmid (www.RichardSchmid.com), and Burton Silverman (www.BurtonSilverman.com) gave their particular perspectives.  Each gave rich information of their experiences, lives, and artwork, all with adequate touches of humor.

The Artist's Demonstrations.  Friday, Saturday, and Sunday are also filled with a selection of top-tiered portrait artists' demonstrations with a model that may be someone famous or perhaps another popular artist.  This year artists demonstrating were Mary Whyte (a watercolorist) (www.colemanfineart.com), Judith Carducci (a pastelist and a people choice selection from the Face-Off Thursday night), and Daniel Greene (an oil demo) (www.DanielGreeneArtist.com).   All three gave good instructions while painting under the bright stage lights.  There are three huge projector screens in the room that display a split-screen of the model and the painting.  The stage is too far away for most people to try to watch the actual action on the canvas.  Taking plenty of notes is good advice  for these demos as the information is forthcoming and worthwhile.  I just compared my Daniel Greene notes from the previous years and he is always very thorough and consistent, like his dvds.

The Break-out Sessions.  Friday afternoons have the two break-out sessions where attendees can select one topic from each session to attend.  Each year there's always a session with Daniel Greene critiquing the sent in slides and a drawing session or two by a popular artist.  Then there are panels with a group of top-tiered artists that discuss various topics of the business or techniques.  There's usually a demo session or two by a particular artist.  One of the regulars is Calvin Goodman, a management consultant (www.artmarketinghandbook.com), that helps artists.

The Portfolios.  If you have one, bring it.  Be sure to spruce it up and put your best work in it.  During the lunchtime hours, you can have top-tiered artists review your portfolio and give you advice.  Prepare to stand in line, especially if you wait for a more popular artist to review your portfolio.  In addition, you can have your friends or new acquaintances take a look at it.  You can also leave it on a long table that provided for the portfolios where other artists can look at it and maybe leave a note of encouragement.  Last, there's a portfolio competition and maybe you might win.

The Competition.  Besides bringing all the portrait artists together for the demos and perspectives, the other goal is to decide the winners from the finalists of the portrait competition.  This year there were fifteen entries displayed at the conference.  This is another benefit for the conference, seeing the finalist paintings together and up close.  During the opening ceremonies, the finalists' slides are displayed as well as the honorable mentions.  Then during the banquet Saturday night, the winners are announced and awarded.

The Banquet.  Saturday night is the night to put on your best, chat with your table mates and eat banquet food, hear the announcement of the winners, and listen to some selected speakers.  Special awards are given out this time and this year's Gold Medal Award was given to Nelson Shanks (www.NelsonShanks.com).  Afterward, many artists celebrate or go back to their rooms to pack because Sunday is checkout.

The Cecelia Beaux Forum.  This is a forum that specializes in promoting and mentoring women in the arts and it usually has a lunchtime program for the members.  This year Mary Whyte gave an excellent talk on tips to create your best painting ever. 

The Inspiration Hour.  On Sunday morning before the conference begins, attendees can experience an inspiration hour where artists can appreciate their spiritual influence in their work.  Usually there is a guest speaker to offer his or her point of view and this year the speaker was Calvin Goodman.

The Museum Visit.  The conference officially ends at noon on Sunday.  The attendees are then invited to take a round trip bus trip from the hotel to a local museum for the afternoon.  Again, the bus trip is another way to meet other artists.  This year the museum trip was to the Smithsonian Institution's National Portrait Gallery  (www.npg.si.edu) in downtown DC.  Previously, I missed it due to my early flight home, however this year I made an extra effort to go (and paid for it by taking a $$60 taxi ride back out to Dulles).  My friends and I did receive a special treat.  Sculpture artist, Rhoda Sherbell, NA (www.theArtStudentsLeague.org), personally took us around the museum and so graciously showed us her three sculptures. 

The Friends.  The last topic is the most important.  In the world of portraiture when many times as an artist, you spend a lot of time working alone at the easel, being able to connect with other portrait artists is the most rewarding aspect of the conference.  Each year my circle of artist friends get larger due to the conference.  Sometimes just a warm smile and a quick catch-up are all that you can share because the conference is full of the stated above activities.  So, bring plenty of your business cards because there is always email or Facebook to keep in touch until next year.

 

 

 

 

 

This last weekend I was very lucky to experience a worth-your-while three day workshop at The Art Loft in Canal Winchester, Ohio where C. Michael Dudash was the featured guest artist.  

My artist friend, Candace Brancik, has been a devoted follower of Michael and his work; they both share similar careers in graphic illustrations.  When she told me about Michael's upcoming landscape workshop, I checked his website to learn more about him.   www.cmdudash.com

For me, it was a big "wow".  I immediately responded to his vivid colors, his juicy paint strokes, his excellant drawing skills, and especially his range of subjects (landscape, still life, figurative, and portrait).  I was sure then that the workshop would be at least be enjoyable just to see his demonstrations.

The first day Michael worked on an unfinished painting, demonstrating different paint application techniques as well as his choices of oil paint colors from his palette.  His reference came from an 8x10" photo that was slightly enhanced using Adobe Photoshop.  Michael seems to be very adept at using the program to bend colors or to overlay partial croppings from other photos.

For his brushes, he uses various bristle and non-bristle brushes, some being 'abused' brushes that give the right texture in spots.  He also uses softer sable or mongoose brushes for subtle blendings.  His canvases are mostly linen canvas glued onto a support of some type.  Michael's paint colors are the standard red, yellow, blue colors punched with the pthalos, grounded with the earth colors, and Permelba for his white.  He uses Liquin for a medium and oderless mineral spirits for washes and clean-up.

Some of his techniques could be described as painterly or stylistic.  When massing in, Michael likes to quickly swab on paint in a middle value, brushing in different directions.  From there, he'll add colors that are darker or lighter, meticulously laying the paint on top.  Or, he will add the same value of colors but with different temperatures.

A marvelous technique I learned from Michael was painting negative spaces, where let's say, the light background, is cut into the dark mass of the tree, as opposed to painting the tree with deliberate dark strokes over the light background.  I guess I knew this from adding sky holes to trees, but I never tried it in other places.  Wonderful, wonderful.  Thank you, Michael.

Another technique Michael explained was to paint all the darks one temperature (cool or warm) in order to unite the painting; conversely, paint all the lights one temperature.  (Check for this simple idea on your current paintings whether it might improve them.)

Regarding values, a topic more important than color, he reminds us to limit our values to three or four in order to make a more cohesive statement in our paintings.  For example, with clouds in some cases, it's better to keep the value around the same but vary the temperature to give them life.  Michael sometimes put a dab of black or white on the painting to judge his values.

He also talked about glazing (a diluted, transparent version of pigment); it's a great technique to make colors 'pop' on a painting.  The underpaint layer has to be somewhat dry to be effective.

Michael demonstrated for the public and us Friday night after the Friday's segment.  His subject was a farm scene in back of a corn field and he painted it on a large piece of linen canvas taped to a board.  Near the end, he pulled the tape back a bit to show how values can be compared to the white of the unpainted canvas.

There were  a dozen or so artists that attended this workshop and they were mostly from the area around Columbus or southern Ohio.  We all got to paint a couple of landscapes from photos or set-ups of still lifes. If he wasn't demonstrating, Michael spent his time critiquing us individually and as a group.  He was more than happy to go the extra mile and stay later if necessary. 

The artist Donna Noice helped so generously to make all the workshop arrangements and kept Michael and us very comfortable with her coffee, snacks, lunches, and her beautiful smile.  Thank you, Donna.

The Art Loft was also a great location (a historic, quaint, little town), easy to get to with free parking, and large windows for outside light as well as adequate inside lighting.  There was a nearby shopping center with restaurants and a clean, affordable Best Western hotel nearby.  www.robertwarrenartloft.com

Last, a big thank you goes to Candy for driving us there (including some snow on the way back) and for introducing me to C. Michael Dudash.  Wonderful.

 

Last Saturday, I visited Michigan's Kalamazoo Institute of Arts (www.kiarts.org) to see the closing exhibit (Feb. 8, 2009) "Spared From the Storm", a collection of 89 masterworks from the New Orleans Museum of Art.  It was my first visit to the museum and I was impressed.  Free parking was across the street and the staff was helpful and pleasant.  (I was told the exhibition catalog was a dissappointment as it had artwork that didn't come to Kalamazoo.)

After watching a ten minute video by the curators (interesting details about the museum and its employees surviving the recent infamous hurricane Katrina), I went searching for one of the exhibit's highlights:  Elisabeth Louise Vigee Le Brun's "Portrait of Marie Antoinette, Queen of France" (1788).  The curator said that Ms. Vignee-Le Brun carried the painting when she left France in order to have an example of her work.  Thinking it was small, I quickly wandered through the three rooms of the exhibit but I didn't see it.  When I went to ask a docent at the museum's lobby, I suddenly found it and I couldn't believe that I missed it when I entered the museum.  The painting with its massive, ornate frame is probably eleven feet tall!  (The actual painting's dimensions are 109.5 x 75.5 inches.)  I'll have to check my book on Vignee-Le Brun to see what it says about the painting...  From the book by Gita May Elisabeth Vigee Le Brun - The Odyssey of an Artist in an Age Of Revolution, on page 40,  a similar if not the same painting is described, "en robe de velours bleu".  The author says she's holding a book in her left-hand (the painting I saw has the book in her right-hand) but the rest of the description depicts the painting like the one in the exhibit.  (One of my major complaints of art books is that some of them do not include the dimensions of the artwork.)

After that, I wandered through the three rooms devoted to the exhibit.  The curators said one of the New Orleans Museum's mission is to collect French paintings, keeping with the flavor of its city's heritage.   The exhibit did have a good balance of French and non-French artists.  The first room had pre-Impressionist and earlier paintings.  Since I favor portraits, I zoomed in on a painting, "Portrait of Louis XIV" by Claude Lefebvre (1670).  I'm not aware of the artist, however, I am acquainted with the that era's style of meticulously rendering details. 

I move onto the next room that had the 1800's paintings and portraits.  I stayed longer in this room, to study the portraits.  There was a Franz Xaver Winterhalter - "Young Woman in a Ball Gown" (1850), which was very gracious in its large oval frame.  Excitingly, nearby was a William-Adolphe Bouguereau - "Whisperings of Love" (1889); and oh, his cool light on the warm skin technique was delightful.  On a nearby wall, was a Robert Henri - "The Blue Kimono" (1909).  I think I've read his book, The Art Spirit, more than once and now I finally see his work.  It seemed to be more about the kimono than the woman wearing it and although painterly, the colors were a bit too drab.

Next to it was my favorite of the exhibit:  John Singer Sargent's "Mrs. Asher Wertheimer" (1898).  Many of Sargent's oil portraits have a dark background, however this one was a refreshingly light.  The pearls were dabs of paint and the lace was indicated but not labored.  I got up close to see the face and noticed his technique of using warm and cool colors to model the face all the while keeping the values close.  Wonderful.  I checked my book at home about this painting.  From Richard Ormond's John Singer Sargent, Portrait of the 1890's, the portrait of Mrs. Asher Wertheimer was painted as a companion to her husband's more famous painting in celebration of their silver wedding anniversary.  Her painting feels of silver.  (Check on line for her husband's painting, Asher Wertheimer by Sargent at www.artrenewal.com.)

There were other Impressionists in the room, such as pals Sisley, Monet (a pale lavender winter scene and not quite his best house/landscape painting), and Pissaro (a most delicious sunset painting).  The Impressionist Manet came to New Orleans to visit relatives and painted one painting, which was on exhibit.  Again, another large, dark painting and seemingly unfinished out towards the edges; however, his subject, a relative going blind was painted so astutely but delicately.  I could only glance at the sculptures in the exhibit, such as a large Rodin's standing nude man because my allotted excursion time was quickly running out.

The last room had the Post-Impressionists up to modern times.  I recognized many from my painting trip to southern France a few years ago.  (While there, I visited the artist museums of Picasso, Leger, Miro, and Matisse and it was good to see these masters in the exhibit.)  Rounding it out, there were examples of Pollock and Stella among other abstract and modern artists.  Judging from the exhibit, the New Orleans Museum of Art has an excellant representation of masterworks. 

I quickly explored the permanent collection downstairs and the two gift shops (one for the exhibit).  Overall a good museum and one to return to with more time to devote to savoring good art.

One of the 9 Muses is Candace (Candy) Brancik of Milford.  On Tuesdays, I see Candy paint mostly in oils, usually starting with a small, tonal underpainting.  She then introduces her rich palette of colors, and builds her figures with a delicate grace of brushwork.  Her finished paintings have an old world feeling, however, they exude a contemporary confidence.

Candy writes:  "After 20+ years in the commercial art field, I realized I had strayed from the things I really loved about art, and so in 2004, I retired early from my job to go back to the more fulfilling field of fine art.  Currently, I paint with our Tuesday group from a live model, mostly in oil, and at home in the studio.  I find myself gravitating towards mixed media drawings of animals, and of birds in particular.  But I still feel I'm looking for that inner voice to come out, so my goals are to continue to experiment with media, develop technically, and eventually build a cohesive body of work."

Tonight, Candy is receiving top honors at the Lawrence Street Gallery's 2009 The Body Electric Juried Competition & Exhibition (www.lawrencestreetgallery.com) for her mixed media work titled "Stripes". Congratulations, Candy. 

Candy's website:  www.thepixelcollective.com/cbrancik

A core group of nine devoted artists, calling themselves "The Muses", meet every Tuesday for a few hours in order to create figurative art from a  female or male model. 

Most of the time the model will pose for short gestures for the artists to warm-up and then spend the rest of the time in an extended pose, either nude or clothed.  If the model doesn't bring their own costume, the costumes are selected from a large closet of colorful dresses, skirts, blouses, scarves, and jewelry.  Various props are used, such as different chairs, chaises, or benches, along with flowers, ceramics, or vases.  Background draperies are suspended behind the model stand, which is a large, wooden base on wheels.  The lighting comes from a long row of windows with northeastern exposure, some overhead spotlights, and a model stand light.

Music usually plays softly in the background.  While the artists work at their craft, lively banter fills the air with interesting discussions about the current news events or movies playing at the theaters.  There are always humorous commentaries that keep the chatter mixed with laughter.  During model breaks, the artists enjoy fresh coffee and technique discussions with each others' work in progress.

Pictured in the Muses photo above are -
Front row:  Daria Fileta, Peggy Kerwan, Jeff Cancelosi, Barbara Eko Murphy, Mary Step, LInda Logan;
Back row:  Sandra Bozer, Debbie Valentine Matthews, Candy Brancik.